Brush controlled gravity feeds



May 15, 1962 J. G. KAY

BRUSH CONTROLLED GRAVITY maps Filed Feb. 14, 1961 Z6 24 FIG?) INVENTOR. John 6. Kay BY United States Patent 3,034,626 BRUSH CONTROLLED GRAVITY FEEDS John G. Kay, Detroit, Mich., assignor to F. Jos. Lamb Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 89,217

8 Claims. (Cl. 193-32) This invention relates to brush controlled gravity feeds. In automated installations it is frequently necessary during the process of manufacture to transfer workpieces vertically downward from one machine to another, and, in many cases, such as soft cut gears, it is essential that such parts be carefully handled and not subjected to bumps as a result of which they might become marred or deformed. Moreover it is very desirable that a cheap and simple mechanism which only occupies a small amount of space be employed for this purpose. r

This invention aims to provide a brush controlled gravity feed wherein the speed of downward flow of workpieces therethrough is controlled by yielding bristles of the brushes so that the speed of, the workpieces is sufiiciently retarded to prevent them being marred or deformed during their travel therethrough.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a brush controlled gravity feed including opposed brushes down wardly between which workpieces are adapted to travel, usually along a zigzag path; and wherein readily adjustable means are provided for regulating the spacing betwen opposed brushes so that the latter may be quickly set to suit the size of the workpieces which are to pass between them and to properly control the speed of flow of the workpieces.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a brush controlled gravity feed which is cheap and simple to manufacttu'e and install and which occupies a very small amount of space.

With these and other objects and advantages in view which will become apparent as the specification proceeds, the invention is now more fully described with the aid of the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIGURE 1, ignoring the portions of the brushes beneath the line on which the section is taken.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged front elevation showing the upper portion of the device with the retaining plate removed, and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged front elevation showing the lower portion of the device with the retaining plate removed.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a vertical backing plate through which adjacent each vertical margin a row of bolts 2 extends. Mounted against the inner face of the backing plate and supported by each row of bolts 2 is a vertical brush inwardly from which bristles 4 project substantially horizontally. The bristles on the two brushes which are opposed to one another are of alternately increasing and decreasing length longitudinally of their brushes, so that the two sets of bristles define a zigzag passage 5 between them, and the relative positioning of the brushes is such that the passage thus defined is of uniform width throughout its length. Openings 6 and 6a are formed through the brushes for the passage of the bolts 2, and the openings 6a are horizontally elongated so that the spacing between the brushes, and thus the width of the zigzag passage, may be adjusted to suit the width or diameter of workpieces A which are to pass therethrough. The brushes are between plates 1 and 7 and are secured by bolts 2 and their nuts 2a. The latter, which may be made ofany preferred material such as 3,034,626 Patented May 15, 1962 transparent plastic, together with the backing plate 1,

form the opposite ends of the passage 5 to limit lateral movement of the workpieces.

It will be noted that the backing plate 1 projects upwardly somewhat above the brushes 3 and has the discharge end of feed chuting 8 attached thereto. The chuting in this instance consists of opposed guide rails 9 having a carrier rail 10 laterally spaced between them along which workpieces A are adapted to travel. The guide rails 9 and the carrier rail 10 are transversely spaced by bolts 11 having spacers 12. thereon, and one of these bolts also passes through the backing plate 1 to secure the feed chuting thereto. The delivery ends of the guide rails project beyond the carrier rail so that an opening 14 is formed between them through which the workpieces are adapted to drop into the upper extremity of the passage 5. Bolts 11a also pass through the outer extremities of the guide rails and through the backing plate 1. Mounted on the bolts 11a between the guide rails is a stop block 15 having an inclined face 15a to divert workpieces downwardly into the passage 5. It is of course understood that the spacing between the opposed brushes 3 is such that their bristles exert suflicient retarding influence on workpieces passing down through the passage 5 and control their speed.

To the lower extremity of the backing plate 1, which also projects beneath the brushes 3, the receiving end of discharge chuting 16 (similar to the chuting 8) is secured to terminate beneath the brushes. The chuting again consists of spaced parallel guide rails 17 between which a carrier rail 18 is provided. These rails 17 and 18 are held in spaced relation to one another by bolts 19 having spacers 20 thereon. The receiving ends of the guide rails 17 project beyond the carrier rail across and beneath the passage 5 and have a diverting block 21 mounted between the said guide rails which is downwardly inclined from the guide rail ends beneath the said passage. 22 denotes bolts which extend both through the diverting block and through the guide rail ends and secure them to the backing plate. The adjacent end 18a of the carrier rail 18 terminates in a longitudinal slot formed in the diverting block 21 and the latter and the rails 17 and 18 are secured to the backing plate 1 by one of the bolts 19. It will be noted that the bristles of the opposite brushes are so inclined at their lower extremities that workpieces leaving the passage 5 are travelling somewhat in the direction they are to follow along the discharge chuting as this arrangement and the inclination of the diverting block prevent workpieces accumulating beneath the lower end of the zigzag passage.

While in the drawing the zigzag passage has been shown extending vertically, it is understood that by inclining the brushes the passage may be so arranged that its upper and lower extremities are not in vertical alignment. When that is done it is desirable that the variation in length of the bristles be such that workpieces travel continuously downward between the brushes at substantially the same inclination throughout the length of the passage.

The device may be mounted in any preferred manner. In the drawing a stand 24 is shown having a base 25 adapted to rest upon the ground, and extending around the stand are clamps 26 which are secured to the rear face of the backing plate 1.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown it is understood that alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided the alterations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A brush controlled gravity feed including substantially vertical plates mounted in spaced parallel relation, opposed brushes on and extending between the plates, the

bristles of each brush extending towards the bristles of the brush opposite thereto to form opposite sides of a downward passage of uniform width extending between the plates, workpieces being adapted to pass downward between the brushes and. have their downward flow retarded by the bristles, and means for adjusting the spacing of said brushes from one another and thus the width of said downward passage.

2. A brush controlled gravity feed including two vertical plates mounted in spaced parallel relation, opposed substantially vertical brushes supported by and between the plates, the bristles of one brush extending towards those of the brush opposite thereto, the bristles of said brushes being alternately longer and shorter to form opposite sides of a continuous zigzag passage extending substantially vertically between the plates, and said brushes being relatively so positioned that the width of the zigzag passage between their bristles is uniform throughout its length.

3. The combination in claim 2, including means for adjusting the spacing of the brushes from one another and thus the width of the zigzag passage.

4. A brush controlled gravity feed including two vertical plates mounted in parallel spaced relation, opposed brushes supported substantially vertically by and between the plates, each brush having inwardly projecting bristles, the outer extremities of the bristles of the opposed brushes being uniformly spaced from one another throughout the length of said brushes to form a continuous downward passage of uniform width transversely between the plates through which workpieces are adapted to flow, and the spacing between the bristles of the opposed brushes being such that said bristles are adapted to retard the flow of workpieces through said passage.

5. The combination in claim 4, including means for adjusting the spacing between the bristles of the opposed brushes to suit workpieces of different sizes.

6. The combination in claim 4, including a conveying means the discharge end of which is secured between the plates above the passage to deliver workpieces thereinto, another conveying means the receiving end of which is secured between the plates beneath said passage to receive workpieces therefrom, means on the first named conveying means for directing workpieces thereon into said passage, and means mounted on said other conveying means for receiving workpieces as they drop from the passage and deflecting them along said other conveyor.

7. The combination in claim 2, including a conveying means the discharge end of which is secured between the plates and extends over the passage, a stop block secured to said conveying means for directing workpieces therefrom into said passage, a second conveying means extending beneath said passage and secured between the plates for receiving workpieces dropping from said passage, the lower extremities of the bristles of the opposed brushes being inclined towards the side of said second conveying means along which the workpieces are adapted to travel, and an inclined diverting block secured to said conveying means beneath the passage, said block being inclined to deflect workpieces in the direction in which they are to travel along the second conveying means as they drop from said passage.

8. The combination in claim 7, wherein means are provided for adjusting the spacing of the brushes from one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 876,529 Dorrn'an Jan. 14, 1908 976,871 Hammond Nov. 29, 1910 1,879,944 Muth Sept. 27, 1932 2,647,670 Cox Aug. 4, 1953 

